March is here, and with it comes a new season in Major League Soccer. This will be the first season since 2005 that the league has not expanded to add new franchises, but there are still major story lines to be addressed as the 18th season of the MLS gets underway.
The biggest story lines of the off-season surrounded the current champions the Los Angeles Galaxy. David Beckham said at the end of last season that he would not sign a new contract with the team, and has since moved to Paris Saint-Germain in France’s Ligue 1.
The league loses a lot of star-power with Beckham’s departure, but there are still notable names in MLS that can attract interest from the casual fan. The New York RedBulls have former France international Thierry Henry and Australian international Tim Cahill, both of which can put a reputable name on the league.
Losing Beckham can be seen as a huge loss, but it also might set the scene for the young American players in MLS to establish themselves as potentially world-class players. A great litmus test for this theory is present in the Mile High City.
The Colorado Rapids, under second-year coach Oscar Pareja, had an overhaul in the offseason, seeing 11 players leave and come in. This team is all about youth, with only five players on the entire roster over 30 years old. One of these players is Pablo Mastroeni, who will provide a lot of leadership to an otherwise inexperienced Rapids team.
The Rapids also brought in former Galaxy star and United States international Edson Buddle to ramp up the attack of a team that only averaged just over one goal a game, according to stats from ESPN.com.
Pareja, who was named the interim manager towards the end of the 2012 season, will have a full season to implement his 4-3-3 formation, which emphasizes quick passing and strong play from the outside wingers.
He had a complete offseason to get the players he needs for his preferred system, so expectations should be high for the Rapids, who missed out on the playoffs last season and finished seventh in the Western Conference.
The Rapids might be a season or two off from realistically challenging the likes of the RedBulls, Seattle Sounders and the Kansas City Wizards. They dropped their first game of the season 1-0 to FC Dallas on Saturday due to a mistake by backup goalkeeper Steward Ceus.
Mistakes like that from inexperienced players will happen this season, but fans need to be patient as Pareja implements his adjustments.
A playoff spot might not be out of reach, even in the stacked Western Conference, but an MLS title is not in the cards this season.
